Editors' Picks
Cracking the Code of the Human Genome
A special report on the secrets of our DNA
Don’t Listen to the Buzz: Lobsters Aren’t Actually Immortal
Contrary to memes circulating online, lobsters can't live forever—but they do keep growing and growing until they die
When Large Birds Disappear, Rainforests Suffer
A century after toucans and toucanets disappeared from patches of Brazilian jungle, trees have evolved to have smaller, weaker seeds
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For a large chunk of the Earth’s existence, flora have used the Sun’s light to turn the planet green
March 2013
| By Henry Fountain
Smithsonian Secretary G. Wayne Clough journeys to Front Royal, Virginia, to find out the latest in animal research
March 2013
| By G. Wayne Clough, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
Cornell scientists used computerized scanning, 3D printers and cartilage from cows to create living prosthetic ears
February 21, 2013
| By Joseph Stromberg
A new study indicates that roughly half become habituated to the smell of DEET over time, reducing its effectiveness as a repellent
February 20, 2013
| By Joseph Stromberg
Making healthy foods like tomatoes more palatable may increase our desire to eat these foods while decreasing our gravitation towards sugary snacks
February 20, 2013
| By Rachel Nuwer
Macrophotographer Thomas Shahan takes portraits of spiders and insects in the hopes of turning your revulsion of the creatures into reverence
February 20, 2013
| By Megan Gambino
Scientists use computer simulations to test how geographic features help create intense snowstorms that blanket cities near lake shores with snow
February 20, 2013
| By Mohi Kumar
Last week's close encounters with space rocks have raised concerns about how we deal with dangerous asteroids. Here's how we would try to knock them off course.
February 19, 2013
| By Randy Rieland
A video captures images of thousands of spiders raining down on a Brazilian town, but it turns out this event is perfectly normal
February 18, 2013
| By Rachel Nuwer
There are more than 14 billion pages on the web, but they are linked by hyperconnected nodes, like Hollywood actors connected through Kevin Bacon
February 18, 2013
| By Joseph Stromberg
Drought and over-pumping has led to groundwater losses in the Middle East that equal almost the entire volume of the Dead Sea, a new study shows.
February 15, 2013
| By Claire Martin
In 1908, a meteor exploding in mid-air released the energy equivalent to "185 Hiroshima bombs"
February 15, 2013
| By Colin Schultz
A new project asks citizens to monitor their backyard rinks, helping to track how a warming climate is affecting Canada's skating tradition
February 15, 2013
| By Joseph Stromberg
Ten years ago, the spice company identified chipotle as a taste on the rise. They're back at it again with new predictions for 2013
February 15, 2013
| By Marina Koren
A clever print by designer Jacqueline Schmidt pays homage to 12 different species with one thing in common—they mate for life
February 14, 2013
| By Megan Gambino
A study shows that wild perch are less fearful, eat faster and are more anti-social when exposed to a common pharmaceutical pollutant
February 14, 2013
| By Joseph Stromberg
Former Smithsonian taxidermist Paul Rhymer is a judge on "Immortalized," a TV competition that pits up-and-comers against superstars in the field
February 14, 2013
| By Megan Gambino
Scans show that liberals and conservatives use different parts of the brain when they take risks, helping to pinpoint the political party a person prefers
February 14, 2013
| By Marina Koren
The new species of owl makes a distinctive "pwok" call and is unique to just one island in Indonesia
February 13, 2013
| By Rachel Nuwer
Don't understand love? Not to worry. Scientists continue to study away to try to make sense of it for the rest of us
February 13, 2013
| By Randy Rieland
A look at the mating systems of some monogamous ocean animals show that finding life partners helps species protect themselves and their young
February 13, 2013
| By Emily Frost
Chromodoris reticulata, native to the Pacific, engages in mating behavior previously unknown in the rest of the animal kingdom
February 13, 2013
| By Joseph Stromberg
Decaying field huts, open pits of trash and oil-slicked beaches mar King George Island, a logistical hub for Antarctic research
February 12, 2013
| By Mohi Kumar
The 147-foot-wide rock will pass a scant 17,200 miles from Earth's surface, under the orbits of some telecom satellites
February 12, 2013
| By Joseph Stromberg
A stunning look at starfish reveal beautiful patterns--but what exactly are those wormy structures, bald patches, and spiky maces?
February 08, 2013
| By Hannah Waters
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